Re: Proportional Representation
Greg Kyllo is no fan of Proportional Representation. Of course not. It could threaten his seat in the next election.
Instead of debating the merits of PR (more cooperation among parties, a wider spectrum of viewpoints in the legislature, greater voter turnout, less dramatic policy swings, better representation, etc.), Mr. Kyllo resorts to deception. Kyllo: “PR will bring… a complicated ballot.” Reality: voters will be asked to vote for two candidates instead of one, or they will be asked to rank the candidates. Kyllo: “PR will bring… a proliferation of small fringe parties.” Reality: no candidate whose party receives less than 5 per cent of the votes will be elected.
The bottom line — our current winner-take-all electoral system fosters antagonism and disenchanted voters. No wonder 84 other democracies have switched to PR, except the U.S., and look where winner-take-all has gotten them.
Greg O’Neill